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Poll: 4 in 10 say #MeToo movement has gone too far

Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey are among a list celebrities and politicians, who all faced quick and intense backlash from sexual harassment allegations.

The scandals sparked the #MeToo movement. Now, a year later, some feel the movement has shifted.

“Certainly, after the #MeToo movement, what we have seen [is] survivors have more safe spaces to go to, to access support,” says Bridgette Stumpf, a sexual assault advocate with the Network for Victim Recovery of D.C. “Unfortunately, with the Times survey just over a month ago, that said of women surveyed 60 percent say their environment of reporting sexual harassment assault doesn’t feel any different than a year ago.”

“It doesn’t matter what your political affiliation is, there’s this sense in politics that winning is the most important thing,” Stumpf says.

A new poll finds found 4 in 10 surveyed believe the movement has gone too far. The nation is split along party lines, with 75 percent of Republicans saying the #MeToo movement has gone too far, compared to 21 percent of Democrats.

Sexual assault advocates say that can have an impact on victims coming forward or being believed.

“From a survivor’s perspective, if you already felt the criminal justice might not be a space where you’re believed, your willingness to think that that’s going to get better in this political moment is probably not likely,” Stumpf explains.

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